Draft rigging



W. G. ADAMS.

DRAFT FHGGING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I0, 1918.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

a SHEETS-SHEETL w.'e. ADAMS.

DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1918.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- Elwoeutoz W.-G. ADAMS.

DRAFT RIGGING. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1 91 8.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Snow V601,

my-M44000 4 attozneg PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. ADAMS, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

DRAFT RIGGING.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

Application filed June 10, 1918. Serial No. 239,219.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM G. Anx rs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Rigging; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. .i j

v The invention relates to draft rigging for railway cars, and more particularly to a draft rigging which is primarily designed to obviate some of the inherent defects common to the types of draft riggings now in service by employing the weight of the car body as the resistance medium.

The principal object of my invention broadly stated is to dispense with springs or springactuated friction devices as the primary resistance mechanism, and to provide a draft rigging in which the resistance to draft or buffing shocks will be proportional to the intensity of said shocks and to the weight of the car body. To this end the main features of my invention, generally considered, comprise means whereby the car body is connected to the car trucks through the medium of the car coupler, or an extension thereof, the said'means being so connected to the car body that a relative longi tudinal movement of the coupler under either bufiing or draft shocks will result in a relative vertical movement between the car body and the coupler, and means for compensating for the longitudinal movement of the car truck with reference to the car body under buffing and draft, said last named means is actuated either by the car coupler or the car truck to adjustably position boththe side bearings and the brake mechanism so that the same are operative in their normal manner under all conditions of movement.

There are many other features of my invention as will be pointed out in themore detailed description thereof, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which have been chosen to illustrate the same, andin which, i v y Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a car underframe having.

the invention applied thereto, the car truck and center sill and associated parts of the draft rigging being; shownin elevation.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section partially in elevation of the device illustrated in Figure 3.

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary detail views illustrating a modification of the connecting means between the car coupler extension and the car body.

Throughout the specification and the drawings like parts are designated alike.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 indicates the car body superstructure, 2 the car floor, 3 the end sill, and at, 4 the center sills. The car coupler is indicated by the numeral 5, and is adapted to be loosely supported ad j acent the coupling head by the carry-iron 6, which is yieldingly supported by the springs (3 so as to maintain the coupler at a constantelevation, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The coupler extension 7 is preferably connected to the coupler by means of a transversely extending key 8, said key being adapted to extend through alined slots in the coupler and in the coupler extension ears 9( The ends of the said key are adapted to extend into and throughslotted openings 10 in the sills 4 The coupler extension 7 is preferably a rectangular block, and may be connected to the centersills inthe following manner. Adjacent the upper face '7 of the said block there are provided a plurality of pivot lugs which project beyond the vertical faces 7 b and which are conveniently formed by the projecting ends of the rods or bolts 12. The said bolts are adapted to be con nected to the block 7 and may and preferably do extend through the transversely extending openings 11. To the projecting ends of the bolts 12 are connected the links 13 adjacent their upper ends. The links 13 are arranged in transversely alined pairs, the separate links of each pair being connected to the opposite ends of each bolt 12. ace-nt their lower ends each pair of links 13 is adapted to be pivotally connected to a transversely extending rod or bolt 14 which extends'through alined holes in the center sills and through arc-shaped slots 15 in the coupler, extension.

The bolts 14 are rigidly connected to the car sills and normally extend through the lowest portion of the arc-shaped slots 15 which are struck from the centers of the bolts 12. On the lower face of the block 7 is formed the center bearing 16 which is adapted to engage with the truck bearing 17 and form the truck.

From the foregoing description it will be clear that the car body is pivotally supported from the car truck by the block 7. The weight of the car body being transmitted to the links 13 through the bolts 14, and through the links 13 to the block 7 by means of the bolts 12 and from the block 7 to car trucks. A longitudinal movement of the block 7, due to bufling'or draft shocks, will move the upper ends of the links 13, and since the lower ends of the links are held from longitudinal movement by the bolts 14 the links will assume an angular position with reference to the vertical. This angular movement of the links, however, will be resisted by the weight of the car body since the path of travel of the bolts 12 will be in a horizontalfplane and therefore the bolts 14 7 must move in the arc of a circle to maintain a constant distance between the centers 12 and 14, and as the bolts normally lie at the lowest point of the arc-shaped slots 15, these bolts will move upwardly and carry with them the car body.

It will be evident. that by suitable adjustments respecting the length of the links that the ratio of movement between the bolts 12 and 14 can be'adjusted so as to produce any desired vertical movement of the car body. It is also to be noted that the kinetic energy of a car is the product of one-half mass times .velocity squared, and therefore that the kinetic'energy of "the car is dependent upon theloadcarried thereby, and since the resistance to the movement of the coupler is dependentupon the weight of the car body,

this resistance will vary proportionally to the load carried. 7

To compensate. for the vertical separation of the car body and truck, and the consequent separationof the side bearings on the car body from the side bearings on the truck,

means are provided on the, coupler extension tov adjustably maintain the proper position between these sets of side bearings in all positions of the coupler. The coupler extension isprovided with a plurality of laterally ex? tendingarms 18, the outer ends 19 of each pair of arms arepreferably connected and also are adapted to normally lie in close proximity to the truck side bearings 20, The connected ends 19 of the transversely extending arms 18 project upwardly and are pro- 7 vided adjacent their upper ends with circular openings 21 each adapted to receive a pivot lug 22 to which are connected the links 23 adjacent the upper ends of'the latter. At

the lo-werends of the said links the same are pivotally connected to brackets 24, which are rigidly connected as by bolts 25 to the pivotal center for the said car frame 1. Since the links 23 are of the same length as the links 13, and since the points of pivotal connection to the arms 18 and the brackets 24 are in the same horizontal plane with the bolts 12 and 14, respectively, it is evident that the arms 18 will always have a bearing against the car underframe no matter what position the same occupies with reference to the coupler extension. .To compensate for the longitudinal movement of the cartruck with reference to the car body, and to maintain the brake rigging in operative relation, I preferably provide the truck bolster 26 adjacent the center hear- .ing 17 with a curved bearing 27 the said curved bearing being struck on a radius whose center is the center of the center bearing 17, and pivotally connected to the bearing 27' is the longitudinally extending rod or member 28. Said member 28 is adapted to be interposed between the depending brackets 29 which are connected to the sills 4 and which project below the sills so as to engage on opposite sides, of the said member 28, the said brackets'29 thus maintaining the rod 28 centrally of the car in all positions of the truck. To one of the center sills 4 there is connected in rear of the center bearing and preferably in line with the inner end of the rod 28, a pivot bracket 30, and to this bracket is pi-votally connected at its center a link 31, one end of the "said link being pivotally connected to the longitudinally extending rod 28, and the other end of the said link 31being pivotally connected to the end of a similar link 32. To the center of the lastnarned link is pivotally connected the rod 33 which is connected'to the air cylinder carried by theunderframe, and to the opposite end of the said link 32 there is pivotally connected a rod 34 which operates the brake mechanism on said truck 7 It will be readily apparent that a longitudinal movement of the truck with, reference to ,the underframe will cause the link 31 to assume an angular position either one side or the" other of the normal position shown in igure 3, and since this link is pivoted at its center to the bracket 30 a movement of the liiikon its center will produce 1111118 link 32 a deflection equal to but in the opposite direction from the deflection of the link 31. The movement of the links 31 and 32 will therefore compensate for theJmoVement of the truck with reference to the underframe, and .by this means the brake mechanism will always be main tained in operative relation.

"Instead of pivotally connecting the coupler extension to the car body, as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the same operation is attained by connectingto the upper inner faces of the sills 4 toothed sector pieces, such as 35,

the said sectorpieces being adapted'to in- V carried by the coupler extension. The said pinrons are arranged in transversely alined paths upon opposite sides from the coupler extension 37, and are pivotally connected at the highest portion of the curved sector pieces, a rotation of the said pinions caused by the longitudinal movement of the coupler extension 37 will produce a vertical movement of the car body. Hence in this case as well the longitudinal movement of the coupler extension is resisted by the weight of the car body and its contents.

In Figure 7 I have shown a slightly different construction for obtaining substantially the same results. In this construction instead of employing toothed sector pieces and pinions I attach to the inner faces of the sills sector pieces having the'lower faces thereof curved or rounded substantially as shown, and to cooperate with these sector pieces there are connected to the opposite sides of the coupler extension rollers or equivalent means 39. It will be evident that by adjusting the curvature of the sectors 40 it will be possible to adjust the resistance caused by the weight of the car body and contents to any desired degree.

By utilizing the weight of the car body, it is to be understood that by the weight of the car body is meant the weight of the car body and its contents, as the resistance medium, I am enabled to provide a draft rigging in which the resistance is always proportionate to the energy of the moving car, and I thus render the starting, stopping and braking of the train less difficult than with the present type of draft rigging. It is also to be understood that although I have shown and described my invention as applied to a coupling, I do not intend to limit the invention thereto. When it is remembered that the coupling acts under bufling strains as a buffer it will be readily apparent that the invention is applicable to platform buffers.

Having now described my invention, although it is to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details, since the terms used are to be understood in their descriptive and not their limiting sense, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a draft rigging, the combination with a car body having spaced center sills, of a coupler movable longitudinally with re: spect thereto, said coupler and car body also having a relative vertical movement, and means whereby the longitudinal movement of the coupler is resisted by the weight of the car body, said means being pivotally mounted between the said sills.

. 2. In a draft rigging the combination with a car body, of a coupler bodily movable longitudinally with respect thereto and nonyielding means for connecting the car body and coupler, said means serving to transmit a lifting motion to the car body, whereby a movement of the coupler is resisted by the weight of the car body.

3. In a draft rigging the combination with a car body anda coupler, of pivotally mounted means for operatively connecting said car-body and coupler, said means being adapted to exert a variable resistance to the said movement, said resistance being proportional to the weight of the car body.

4. In a draft rigging the combination with a car body, of a truck movable longitudinally with respect thereto, a car coupler, and means for connecting said coupler and truck, and means for connecting said firstnamed means to the car body, whereby a longitudinal movement of the said coupler will be resisted by the weight of the car body.

5. In a draft rigging the combination with a car body and a truck, of a coupler, means for connecting said coupler and truck, said coupler and truck being movable longitudinally with respect to the said car body, said connecting means also serving to support the car body on the said truck.

6. In a draft rigging the combination with a car body having a truck, of means for operatively connecting the same, a car coupler, movable longitudinally with respect to said car body, the said means being connected to the said coupler and movable longitudinally therewith.

7. In a draft rigging the combination with a pair of draft sills, of a coupller located intermediate the said sills, a car truck, means for operatively connecting the said truck to the said sills, said means including a member connected to the said coupler and supported on the said truck, said member being movable with respect to the said sills.

8. In a draft rigging the combination with. a car body, and a truck, of means for connecting the same, said means comprising a member supported on the said truck and pivotally connected to the car body, a coupler, and means for connecting said member to the said coupler.

9. In a draft rigging the combination with the draft sills, of a coupler, means for pivotally connecting said coupler and sills, and a truck movable with said coupler, the said connecting means serving to resist the longitudinal movement of the said coupler by interposing a variable resistance to said movement.

10. In a. draft rigging the combination with a car'- body of a truck movable longitudinally with respect thereto, a coupler, means for connecting said coupler and truck and means for connecting said first-named means-to the car body, whereby a longitudinal movement'of said coupler will produce a vertical movement of the car body, the said vertical movement of the, car body serving to resist the movement of the said coupler. Y

11. In a draft rigging, the combination with a car body, of a coupler movable longitudinally and vertically with respect thereto, and non-yielding means for connecting said coupler to said car body, said means being adapted to convert a longitudinal movement of the coupler in one dlrectlon into a move ment of the car body at right angles thereto.

- YVILLIAM Gr. ADAMS. 

